THE BRITISH WOODLICE, 53
that he turned over, and here the smaller species of ants also
abounded. Close to stone walls Armadillidia were to be seen
to the exclusion of all other genera, and this state of affairs was
ascribed by Mr. Odell to the presence of swarms of the large
wood-ants which he considers would make short work of any
woodlice that could not protect themselves by rolling up.
We ought not to conclude this account without mentioning
the fact that woodlice once played an important part in medicine.
Doctor Fernie (28) gives some interesting extracts with
regard to the hoglouse and the Woodlouse. The latter he
seems to have identified quite correctly as Oniscus asellus. He
calls the former, however, indiscriminately, "the common
armadillo" (which is the old name for the pill-woodlice now
known as Armadillidium), "the pill millipede" and "Glomeris
marginata." The last two names are those of another creature,
not a crustacean, which when it is rolled up can be very easily
mistaken for an Armadillidium, though, when it uncurls, it will be
seen to have many more than seven pairs of legs. The local
appellations applied to the hog-louse by Doctor Fernie, and his
remarks with regard to its commonness, tend to show that it
is Armadillidium vulgare, to which he really refers, and the use
of which in medicine was commonly general.
Hog-lice were prescribed for scrofulous diseases and
obstructions of the liver and digestive organs, among other
things, and the London College of Physicians directed that
the creatures should be prepared by suspending them in a thin
canvas bag placed within a covered vessel over the steam of hot
spirit or wine, so that being killed by the spirit they might
become friable. Hog-lice and Wood-lice were also administered
alive, while the former were also put down the throats of cows
"to promote the restoration" of their cud, hence their name
of "cud-worm." There seems to be considerable evidence that
even in modern times Wood-lice have had considerable remedial
effect which depends upon an alkalescent fluid contained in
them.
Local Names.—Among the local names by which these
creatures are known are those of "sow bug," "lucre pig"
(Berkshire), "carpenter" and "chiselhog" (Berkshire).
Doctor Fernie (28) gives a number of others.—"thrush-louse,"
"tiggyhog," "cheslip," "kitchenball," "chiselbob," "lugdor,"